Background: A remarkable relationship exists between the upper and lower airways. Bronchial obstruction is a paramount feature of asthma, and its reversibility is considered a main step in asthma diagnosis.
Objective: To investigate the degree of bronchodilation and possible risk factors related to it in patients with moderate-severe persistent allergic rhinitis alone.
Methods: A total of 375 patients with moderate-severe persistent allergic rhinitis and 115 controls were prospectively and consecutively evaluated by means of clinical examination, skin prick testing, spirometry, and bronchodilation testing.
Results: Patients with rhinitis showed a significant increase in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV) after bronchodilation testing compared with basal values and levels in controls (P < .001). Two-thirds of the rhinitic patients had reversibility (> or = 12% basal levels). Patients with reversibility had lower FEV1 levels, longer rhinitis duration, and mite and tree allergies.
Conclusions: This study highlights the close link between the upper and lower airways and the relevance of performing bronchodilation testing in patients with moderate-severe persistent allergic rhinitis.